USDA World Agricultural Supply and Demand Report to Be Delayed

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is postponing its World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, which is relied upon by traders for its detailed information on commodity supply trends, because of the government shutdown, the agency said.

The monthly report on world supply and demand for major crops including corn, wheat and U.S. livestock won’t be issued as scheduled date Oct. 11, agency spokeswoman Courtney Rowe said in an e-mail. "USDA will not issue a WASDE report this week due to the lapse in federal funding," she said.

The partial federal shutdown, which began Oct. 1, has delayed or cancelled government reports ranging from hog-price data to last week’s scheduled unemployment release. World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates data is among the most-watched by commodity markets because of its breadth and quality.